July 1, 2009

EDGE OF THE UNIVERSE

Royal Society of New Zealand Manhire Prize for Creative Science Writing competition for 2009:

"I live at the edge of the universe, like everybody else." — Bill Manhire

This year we are celebrating the International Year of Astronomy. Ever since Galileo first aimed his telescope at Jupiter’s moons, technology has been enlarging our knowledge of the universe.

We now know our own insignificance and isolation and yet we have immense power to communicate as never before. The race of humans is isolated in space and time and yet where, as individuals, do we go to be alone?

You are invited to write between 2,000 – 3,000 words about the place, past or present or future – of human beings in the universe.

There are two categories, fiction and non-fiction. For the purposes of the competition, the fiction category covers science fiction as well as the realistic short story.* The non-fiction category covers a wide range of genre from personal essays to profiles to travel writing, but entries must have substantial scientific content.

*[I am advised that entries in script form will be welcome – ed.]

Entries will be judged on their literary merits and the extent to which they engage a non-scientific audience and are accessible to the general public.

A cash prize of $2500 will be awarded to the winner of each category. The closing date for entries is Tuesday 22 September 2009.

The Manhire Prize for Creative Science Writing is organised by the Royal Society of New Zealand in association with the New Zealand Listener magazine and the International Institute of Modern Letters at Victoria University of Wellington.

For more information, terms and conditions and entry forms visit www.royalsociety.org.nz or contact: Danae Staples-Moon, Tel. 04 470 5770 or Email. danae@royalsociety.org.nz